Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and
financial services organisations in the world. HSBC operates from around 6,100 offices in 72 countries and territories. HSBC provides financial services including: personal
financial services; commercial banking; corporate, investment banking
and markets; private banking; and other activities.

The HSBC
Group is named after its founding member, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking
Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade
between China and Europe.

With listings on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda
stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by around 200,000
shareholders in some 100 countries and territories. The shares are
traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American
Depositary Receipts.

Good moves

2014

HSBC states it would be "extraordinarily unlikely to go anywhere near" Abbot Point

Following several letters and alerts, HSBC was challenged by BankTrack member Market Forces at its 2014 AGM on the financing of the proposed expansion of the Abbot Point coal export terminal in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The response was that, given the concerns of the World Heritage Committee over Abbot Point, HSBC would be "extraordinarily unlikely to go anywhere near it".

Nine of the world's top 20 funders of coal won't touch additional coal terminals at Abbot Point

In 2014, JP Morgan, Cit, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland all responded to a worldwide pressure campaign of NGOs, including Banktrack, urgewald, Greenpeace and Market Forces, by announcing that they would not help finance the expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal in Australia. While ANZ and others remain tied to the deal for now, these banks did the right thing in foregoing this destructive deal that threatens the Great Barrier Reef.